Ireland can't abolish water charges without breaking EU law, it has been revealed.

The European Union Commission has said that it considers the implementing of the tax in 2014 by the Government as qualifying as Ireland’s so-called “established practice.”

Responding to a Parliamentary Question from MEP Marian Harkin, the Commission said Ireland “made a clear commitment to set up water charges” and there is no provision “whereby it can revert to any previous practice”.

Water charges are currently suspended until March 2017 by the new Government and it had been expected the government would abolish the controversial tax after this.

But this now looks to be in jeopardy as Ireland could be hit with massive EU fines if the charges are abandoned.

People Before Profit (PBP) have condemned the EU Commission’s statement, describing it as another example of the EU’s “outrageous contempt for democracy.”

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett of PBP said: “It is now more apparent than ever that the EU and its institutions are now operating with the sole purpose of advancing the agenda of multinationals and corporate interests who want to grab our vital resources and public services.

“It is clear that they have no regard for democracy, in fact the EU has proven to hold total utter contempt for democracy.

“For the EU Commission to say that water cannot be paid for by progressive central taxation and must be paid for by regressive user charges clearly confirms their privatisation agenda.

“The public need to be ready to take to the streets again if the EU attempts to subvert the democratic decision made by the Irish public in the recent election.”

His colleague Deputy Brid Smith said the Commission’s statement showed how removed the institution is from ordinary people.

She added: “It seems they have learnt nothing from the UK’s decision to leave the EU, this will further alienate people from an EU that is acting as a mouthpiece for more austerity taxes and privatisation; this is not a independent, unbiased opinion.

“It is designed to give the Government the fig leaf they seek to try to reintroduce the charges.

“Both the Government and the EU need to show some respect for the dead.

“The water charges are dead and no attempt to breath life back into them by a cabal of unelected bureaucrats will alter that.

“If the government and their bed fellows, Fianna Fail, do not resist this EU bullying in the staunchest way possible, then the people will return to the streets and fight back against the rolling back of the demands of the general election.”